Extracting Lithium from batteries

[amrrashad58]

Hello All,
I’ve been trying to extract lithium from batteries for a while now, everytime I fail, I can’t see the error if you guys can help me spot it.

I only use brand new batteries since all my old ones did not work for me.

I discharge the batteries using leds and dc motors to prevent it from creating sparks while taking it apart.

I use these blue lithium ion cells I buy them brand new ( not recycled) from an electronics store

As soon as I peel of the battery casing & unroll the battery I find the anode and the cathode exactly the same color (black).
I thought maybe the lithium reacted with the air but
all these youtube videos work around the same timeframe as mine.

Then is it the battery itself ?
All the youtube videos work with energizer

Or is it I work slowly ? So the lithium reacts with the air as soon as I peel it off ?

Or is it about the charge levels ??

Thanks guys

[ChenBeier]

You don't have pure Lithium in the batteries. It's a kind of Lithium Cobalt Nickel Manganese oxide and Fluorophosphates